Fundamental and transport properties of ZnX,CdX and HgX (X = S,Se, Te) compounds

We have performed ab initio self-consistent calculations based on full potential linear augmented plane-wave method (FP-LAPW) with the local density approximation (LDA) and generalised gradient approximation (GGA) to investigate the relativistic effects on the structural, electronic, transport and optical properties of II–VI compounds. We mainly show that the stabilisation (destabilisation) of s, p*(p) orbital energies reduces the lattice parameters of II–VI compounds, the band gaps and the effective masses. This, however, induces strong spin–orbit splitting of heavier II–VI compounds.     

High pressure structural phase transitions of PbPo

First-principles calculations have been performed to investigate the high pressure phase transitions and dynamical properties of the less known lead polonium compound. The calculated ground state parameters for the NaCl phase show good agreement with the experimental data. The obtained results show that the intermediate phase transition for this compound is the orthorhombic Pnma phase. The PbPo undergoes from the rocksalt to Pnma phase at 4.20 GPa. Further structural phase transition from intermediate to CsCl phase has been found at 8.5 GPa. In addition, phonon dispersion spectra were derived from linear-response to density functional theory. In particular, we show that the dynamical properties of PbPo exhibit some peculiar features compared to other III–V compounds. Finally, thermodynamics properties have been also addressed from quasiharmonic approximation.     

Pattern Hit-and-Run for sampling efficiently on polytopes

Pattern Hit-and-Run (PHR) is a Markov chain Monte Carlo sampler for a target distribution that was originally designed for general sets embedded in a box. A specific set of interest to many applications is a polytope intersected with discrete or mixed continuous/discrete lattices. PHR requires an acceptance/rejection mechanism along a bidirectional walk to guarantee feasibility. We remove this inefficiency by utilizing the linearity of the constraints defining the polytope, so each iteration of PHR can be efficiently implemented even though the variables are allowed to be integer valued. Moreover, PHR converges to a uniform distribution in polynomial time for a class of discrete polytopes.     

Some characteristic behavior of mixed spin-1/2 and spin-1 Ising nano-tube

The magnetization of a cylindrical Ising nano-tube is investigated by the use of the effective field theory with correlations. The effects of the crystal field couplings at the surface shell to the order parameters, susceptibility, internal energy, specific heat and free energy are investigated. Some characteristic phenomena are examined in the thermal variations, depending on crystal field term. Moreover, tricritical and critical points are found on the (D/J,kT/J) plane, where D/J and kT/J are reduced crystal-field and temperature, respectively.     

Dipotassium maleate with boric acid

In the title compound, poly[(μ₃‐boric acid)‐μ₄‐maleato‐dipotassium], [K₂(C₄H₂O₄){B(OH)₃}]_n, there are two independent K⁺ cations, one bonded to seven O atoms (three from boric acid and four from maleate), and the other eight‐coordinate via three boric acid and four maleate O atoms and a weak η¹‐type coordination to the C=C bond of the maleate central C atoms. Hydrogen bonding links the boric acid ligands and maleate dianions, completing the packing structure.     

The qualitative and quantitative analysis of Sarıkamış ore by energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence

The aim of this study was to determine the concentration of trace elements present in Sarkam ore by the standard addition method. The elements determined were Ca, Ti, Fe, Sr, Ba. The equipment used for this study was a Si(Li)-detector, a multichannel analyzer and ⁵⁵Fe and ²⁴¹Am radioisotope sources. The physical basis of the analytical method used, the procedure of sample preparation and the results are presented.     

A new technique to characterize mono-molecular micelles in random ethylene–propylene copolymers

A new technique to investigate the nano-structure of ethylene–propylene (EP) random copolymers has been developed. It consists in the measurement of the turbidity which develops at a lower critical solution temperature (LCST) in pentane solutions. The information on the solution comes from different types of turbidity obtained during a step-by-step temperature increase. The transient turbidity (h_i) is associated with random coils (I) and structured coils (II) while the stable turbidity comes from aggregates (III). The proportion of (I), (II) and (III) depends on the solution history and on the solvent. The M_w distribution can be obtained from the set h_i (T_i) of (I). Turbidity (II) has an unexpected gap in the h_i (T_i) trace. The gap (10–20 K) is explained by the presence of two entities in solution. Their temperatures of phase separation permit their identification as monomolecular micelles, whose outer core is either E-rich or P-rich. This nano-structure is thought to exist in the solid and also in solution as a metastable state. The technique can differentiate between mobile chains in solutions (I, II) and attached chains in a network (III) through the sedimentation behaviour of the concentrated phase. Three samples with a similar (EP) content (0.75) made with different catalysts have been analysed by LCST and slow calorimetry.     

Isolation and X-ray structure analysis of citreohybridonol from marine-derived Penicillium atrovenetum

The anti-neuroinflammatory meroterpenoid citreohybridonol was isolated for the first time from a sponge-derived fungus Penicillium atrovenetum. In this study, in addition to isolation and structure featuring, its unambiguous absolute configuration was determined exclusively by single crystal X-ray diffraction. The C-17-keto tautomer was clearly observed in X-ray analysis. The substance crystallises in the monoclinic space group P2₁ with a = 10.7496(5) Å, b = 14.3286(7) Å, c = 17.4909(8) Å, β = 103.235(2)°, V = 2622.5(2) Å³, Z = 2, D_calcd = 1.280 g/cm³. The chirality of the asymmetric carbon atoms was as follows: C3 (S), C5 (R), C6 (S), C8 (S), C9 (R), C10 (R), C13 (R), C14 (R).